A GROUP of Horrabridge residents at their wits’ end over bad parking in their cul-de-sac near the village primary school have set up a petition in a plea to bad parkers to stop blocking their junction with the main road.

Sarah Tobin, who lives in Walkham Meadows, said the problem was occurring at school drop off and pick up times, with cars parked right up on the junction with the main road out of the village towards Walkhampton.

Sarah said: ‘There is ample parking in the village but people who don’t live here see fit to park illegally just to go and pick up their child. We have residents that require urgent medical attention. It is parents who are doing this and they don’t live in the village.

‘We have a gentleman in the cul-de-sac who has had a heart operation and needs permanent access to an ambulance should he need it. If there are cars parked on the entrance they are not going to be able to get through to see him. With ambulance waits as long as they are, there could be serious repercussions.’

Sarah said there was a problem with parking on most school days and repeated requests for double yellow lines from the authorities had fallen on deaf ears.

‘We are being passed from pillar to post,’ said Sarah. ‘No one will take responsibility. Every morning and every evening at school times where are numerous people who block the entrance into the cul-de-sac, despite being told that they can’t park on a T-junction. This has been brought up numerous times by residents in the village but we just get passed from pillar to post.

‘I’m not a driver myself but it concerns me very greatly because there are so many disabled people living up here. I’ve had so many people saying they would like to sign my petition. I’ve also spoken to the school and been told that police patrols have been taking place, although I have not seen any.’

Meanwhile, the school has placed a message in their most recent newsletter asking people not to park close to the school.

Horrabridge Primary School headteacher John Clarke said: ‘Despite having taken steps to address the problem of parking concerns in the immediate vicinity of the school, including the incorporation of a drop off zone within the school car park, the provision of a school crossing patrol at the end of the school day and the identification and signposting of a car park within close proximity of the school, as well as regular updates to our parents and carers regarding the above, I am aware that some concerns persist.

‘As a result, we continue to communicate with all of our parents and carers regarding the necessity of parking in a safe and considerate manner at all times in order to ensure the safety of the whole school community and our neighbours.’

Find thepetition ‘Parking on the t junction of knowle terrace and walkham meadows’ on the change.org website.